Popping sound through the sub.

[RingMaster4x4]

I have a Watt Lighting audio amp running a 15" RF sub in my chevelle and I have a popping sound that comes through the sub when I change the source on the head unit or the song on a CD. It will also make this noise sometime when I turn on the headlights.

I just bought this head unit because I wanted to change and my last unit did this also. The sound will come one day and go the next day. I have done all that I can think of. Check all the wiring moved RCA away from the power cable check all connections

 

[tuffdogstudio]

Check your grounds. Scrape away any paint at the ground contact points and make sure the grounds are good while your looking. Could be the amp itself, the lightning audio amps are quite frankly crap. Don't think they are even around anymore? RF toyed with the brand for a while but think it went away because the returns were so high (I could be wrong about their demise though).

If the gains on that amp are way up, that could be it.

There are some very knowledgeable people on here that will probably chime in and get you fixed up, just thought I would suggest a couple easy things to check in the mean time.

 

[RingMaster4x4]

I will check that out. I know that LA is not the best but I got a good deal on it. I know that the gains is way up I will play with that and post up what I find. thanks

 

[chevyin]

High gains settings wont create this popping sound, only make it more noticeable (louder).

RCA cables aren't the problem, the popping sound isn't from noise being introduced into the signal chain via a magnetic field (what moving signal and power wires away from each other combats).

Its either a ground as mentioned above (cheaper amps tend to be more susceptable to ground problems/noises), or the system is receiving erroneous signal information from the truck's stock harness when electrical acessories are turned on (like headlights). Auto manufacturers dont build wiring harnesses for noise rejection in the stereo system, this is why I always bypass them. Run new power and ground wires for your head unit directly from the fuse block, I highly suspect this will solve your problem.

Also worth mentioning, some cheaper amps (and older ones) have a 'turn-on pop', no getting around it. This shouldn't happen simply when changing tracks on the CD however, which again is why I suspect the wiring harness in the dash.

Good luck, keep us posted.